Israel approves construction of 9,000 more housing units

The Israeli Ministry of Housing have issued tenders for the construction of 9,000 new homes in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and other major Israeli cities. The ministry has preconditioned designers to include settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem city in their designs.

Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper said that the Ministry of Housing requested contracted planning offices to design building schemes in the settlements as well as in major Israeli cities. According to the newspaper, the Ministry’s procedure was the first of its kind which requires planning offices to work in the settlements, even if they refuse to do so.

The newspaper said the Ministry has issued three tenders to build 4000 new houses in a settlement north of Jerusalem, west of Qalandiya suburb and south of Ramallah. The second tender includes building 3700 housing units in Ma’ale Adumim settlement, east of occupied East Jerusalem. The settlement stretches to the Dead Sea and constitutes the eastern side of a huge belt of settlements which amputates the West Bank in two parts; north and south. The third tender includes building 2000 new homes in a Gush Etzion settlement to the west of Bethlehem.

The Ministry included the settlements within three lists which include major Israeli cities, without distinction.

The Israeli army radio said that “disputes have erupted between the Minister of Environmental Protection Amir Peretz, of the Hatnuah or [Movement] Party led by Tzipi Livni, and other government ministers. Peretz is reported to have refused to implement a ‘national park’ on hundreds of acres north of Jerusalem which aims to besiege the suburbs of Issawiya and Attor from Jerusalem.”